KDs are designed/developed/inspired/mused/auto-suggested/indigested to make folks think; an especially uncommon experience among Democrats, Republicans, and jingoistic mainline denominationalists who continue to discourage dissent with their ever-threatening thought police.
This is being sent to members of
Blackhawk Presbytery of all theological/ideological persuasions along with
elders and staff of Belvidere's First Presbyterian Church and selected
friends/foes; urging you to forward it at your discretion because my address
book does not include all members of the presbytery or anyone else interested
in this matter.
Our presbytery will vote on
"the amendment" on February 10, 2015 at Rochelle, Illinois' First
Presbyterian Church.
While I will be voting against the
amendment because I am convinced it is categorically antithetical to 2K+ years
of Biblical, confessional, constitutional, historical, traditional, and common
sense Christianity, I have pledged to officers and moderators of Blackhawk
Presbytery that I will not speak to the substance of the AI or amendment
because I've written enough about both since advocated by the 221st
General Assembly in Detroit (June 2014); however, I will rise to
rebuke acrimony from left or right during deliberations.
Though hoping otherwise, I expect
our presbytery to affirm the amendment despite it being categorically
antithetical to Jesus by the book; and will exercise my constitutional right
immediately after the vote: "I
ask the stated clerk to indulge my constitutional right to be recorded in the
minutes by name and church as dissenting from the authoritative interpretation
of the 221st General Assembly and our presbytery's vote to amend the
constitution from marriage being 'between one man and one woman' to 'between
two people' as categorically contradictory to over two thousand years of
Biblical, confessional, constitutional, historical, traditional, and common
sense Christianity."
Expecting the PCUSA to adopt the
amendment by majority vote in the early months of 2015 and then begin a Kenyonesque
crusade against dissent, I pray Blackhawk Presbytery will defy that
impulse and remain true to its proclamation overwhelmingly adopted at its
stated meeting on November 11, 2014: "Acknowledging
same-sex nuptials are legal in Illinois and the PCUSA affords discretion to its
teaching elders by the authoritative interpretation of the 221st General Assembly
to preside or not preside at such rituals+ceremonies=rites and particular
churches may host or not host such ordinances upon session approval subject to
the review of higher judicatories, Blackhawk Presbytery will honor the
consciences of teaching elders and particular churches within its bounds;
noting its members are divided among those who embrace the authoritative
interpretation as witness to progressive theology and those who reject it
according to traditional Christianity. Presiding/participating teaching
elders and hosting churches may exercise their consciences as permitted by the
authoritative interpretation. No efforts to force teaching elders and
sessions who decline to preside/participate/host will be encouraged, enabled,
or condoned. Those who embrace and those who decline do not need to fear
ministerial infringements or vocational reprisals in Blackhawk
Presbytery."
Parenthetically, how we deport
ourselves during deliberations on February 10 will have an extended impact upon
the future shape and membership of Blackhawk Presbytery.
For example, our family of faith
will be sending four elders to the meeting with two designated as
commissioners. I have already reviewed the anticipated comments of one of
our elders; and while affirming content, I am also reminded of the gravity of
this kairos moment
for our presbytery as well as franchise.
Personally, I approach this moment
as one just scratching the surface of my relationship with Jesus by the
book. I may be wrong about what I have said and written. If you
think I am wrong, I invite you to show me how I am wrong by the example of
Jesus, revelations of Holy Scripture, and common sense. If I am
wrong, I will confess my sin, pray and labor to repent, and ask forgiveness from
our Lord, you, and anyone that I have hurt, misled, or otherwise offended
by my sin. But if
you are saying I am wrong by a worldly standard, tradition, prejudice,
political correctness, or any idolatry antithetical to Jesus, the Bible, and
common sense, please do not waste my time with your infidelities.
I will remain faithfully.
That is part of my irresistible
call.
By God's grace overcoming my carnal
instincts, I agape
everyone, pray His best for all, and will labor for
indiscriminate kindness.
There are
Muslims who say they love Mohammed by
The Koran who slaughter children and non-combatants, chop off
heads, throw gays out windows to their death, torture with such horror
that our media and nanny state won't report/expose it for civilized
consumption compelling response, treat women worse than dogs, and don't blush
during their barbaric behaviors.
Many Muslims say
those kinda Muslims are not real Muslims.
There are
mainline denominational Christians who say they love Jesus by the book by
increasing majorities who are increasingly syncretistic, subversive to the
sanctity of all human life from womb to tomb, and obsessed with sexual and
marital ethics distinct from 2K+ years of Biblical, confessional,
constitutional, historical, traditional, and common sense Christianity.
Many Christians
say those kinda Christians are not real Christians.
Let's start
connecting the dots.
Who is a Muslim?
Who is a
Christian?
@#$%
Islam is not
defined by anyone other than its founder Mohammed.
Christianity is
not defined by anyone other than its founder Jesus.
Don't blame
Mohammed for so-called "Muslims" who don't follow him by his book.
Don't blame Jesus
for so-called "Christians" who don't follow Him by His book.
There are Muslims
who are authentic to Islam by following Mohammed by his book and there are
"Muslims" who are posers who "reimagine" Islam apart from
Mohammed by his book.
There are
Christians who are authentic to Christianity by following Jesus by His book and
there are "Christians" who are posers who "reimagine"
Christianity apart from Jesus by His book.
Let's connect the
dots.
Only those
Muslims who follow their founder as defined by their founder in his
book are authentic.
Only those
Christians who follow their founder as defined by their founder in His book are
authentic.
Those who do not
follow their founders as defined by their founders in their books are posers.
Redundant?
Well, for some
reason that defies intellect, our media, mainline denominations, entertainment,
government, BBPBHO, and others with two feet planted firmly in the air can't
seem to or don't want to connect
the dots.
@#$%
Let's keep
connecting the dots.
Would Mohammed,
the historical not "reimagined" founder of Islam, slaughter children
and non-combatants, chop off heads, throw gays out windows to their death,
torture with barbaric lust, and treat women worse than dogs?
How we answer
that question will answer who is authentic to Islam or just posing another
version of "reimagined" Islam.
Would Jesus, the
historical not "reimagined" founder of Christianity, slaughter
children and non-combatants, chop off heads, throw gays out windows to their
death, torture with barbaric lust, treat women worse than dogs, abort the
unborn, preside at same-sex nuptials, and endorse sexual ethics so distinct
from the 27 books of the New Testament so notoriously associated with Him?
How we answer
that question will answer who is authentic to Christianity or just posing
another version of "reimagined" Christianity.
@#$%
Parenthetically,
I guess it's O.K. to come up with "reimagined" versions of Islam and
Christianity; as long as ya admit that they're not authentic to the originals.
Pretending posing
is authentic is, uh, lying.
@#$%
About 12-14 years
ago, I was privileged to participate in a community Thanksgiving service in a
mid-sized Midwest city.
The editor of a
local newspaper was also participating; and, of note, she/he was an elder in a
local church in our shared franchise.
I said,
"_____, the Confessing Church Movement is one of the most significant
things happening in mainline denominations today; and, well, being that you're
an elder at _____ Presbyterian Church, I'm surprised that you haven't at least
run an AP snippet on it in the _____."
She said, "I'm
against it and will do everything that I can to defeat it."
Me: "Oh, I
thought your job was to report the news, make editorial comment on the news;
but not shape what the public needs to know about the news."
I don't recall
another serious conversation with her/him after that.
Connecting the
dots, that's a metaphor for why we're not getting a handle on what the hell is
going on.
When we
"reimagine" rather than report then editorialize, we don't know what
the hell is going on because we don't know what the hell we're talking
about...or...we need to continue connecting the dots.
@#$%
Jesus said Satan
is the father/source/starter of lies.
Satan is opposed
to everything and everyone that/who is/are good and Godly as defined by
mercy, compassion, grace, forgiveness, redemption, and agape.
Satan, as Luther
said, is a "clever trickster" who helps us to "reimagine"
evil as good; so that those compromising with...or accommodating to...or conspiring
with Satan "reimagine" slaughter and torture and degradation and
depravity as evil evolved into good in some kinda twisted situational ethics
kinda way.
Sick?
Yes.
Satanic.
Definitely!
@#$%
Connecting the
dots, the big lies being told about Mohammed and Jesus are being generated by
the big liar in league with...
@#$%
@#$%
Blessings and Love!
@#$%
An Open Letter to Muslims
Dear Followers of
Mohammed,
I am writing to you as a
follower of Jesus; meaning I believe He is Lord and Savior and try to behave
accordingly.
Christians regard Jesus as
the perfect personification of God and the Bible as providing the perfect
prescriptions for following Him.
Assuming you are trying to
follow your leader Mohammed according to your sacred literature, I have
increasing concerns about how you participate in civilization.
Surely, “Muslims” are like
“Christians” in diversity of beliefs and behaviors; acknowledging any
connection between some beliefs and behaviors and their founders by their books
are often just coincidental.
I differentiate between
posers and authentics.
Posers follow their
leaders by their books when it’s convenient to their egocentric wants,
feelings, needs, and opinions; as in, “I know that’s what Jesus/Mohammed says, but
I think…”
Authentics follow their
leaders by their books; surrendering the egocentric to the theocentric; as in,
“God said it. I believe it. That settles it.”
While my guess is some of
what I am writing may appeal to posers who are moderately committed to their
leaders – “Yeah, that’s right! I am a
moderate! I’m moderately committed to
Jesus/Mohammed as long as it doesn’t, you know, conflict with my wants,
feelings, needs, and opinions!” – I am hoping this will attract attention from
Muslims who are trying to follow Mohammed by the book.
I have two concerns about
how authentic Muslims participate in civilization.
First, from everything
that I’ve read about Mohammed and observed in Muslims who follow him by the
book, it’s noticeably barbaric from most civilized points of view.
I mean, let’s face
it. Cutting off heads for apostasy,
cutting off other body parts for lesser infidelities, and degrading women in so
many ways just doesn’t seem very, uh, civilized from most, uh, civilized points
of view.2
When someone makes fun of
Mohammed in a silly cartoon or sophomoric video, you go apoplectic. You make our snake-handling Pentecostals look
like Emily Post devotees. Are you that
emotionally fragile that you can’t handle people who don’t esteem Mohammed like
you do? Yeah, I know you’ve got this convert-to-us-or-be-killed-by-us
thing going. But think about us! We are a constant source of comic material
for Saturday Night Live, Bill Maher, Kathy Griffin, and so many others who
don’t have to worry about Christians declaring death warrants against them.
And what’s up with the
masks when you do your beheading thing?
You look like America’s old KKK on steroids! It comes off rather cowardly. If you have the courage of your convictions,
man up, name it, and claim it!
Your leaders of your
leader are quick to convince their followers that there are dozens of virgins
awaiting those who get knocked off for your cause. While that sounds like something very
appealing to Cub Scouts in heat, it comes off as rather juvenile to the rest of
us. Really, is that what your heaven is
mostly about? Sex with virgins? Whoa.
Second, if what I just
wrote is really, really, really wrong about Muslims who follow Mohammed by the
book, why don’t you condemn their barbarity and tell everyone that they’re not
following Mohammed by the book?
There’s no such thing as a
silent majority. Everybody knows silence
about bad behaviors emanating from bad beliefs accommodates and enables
them. If they’re wrong about Mohammed by
the book, then you owe it to, uh, Mohammed to tell them about it and convince
us that we’re wrong about thinking Islam is barbaric from civilized points of
view.
Christians who believe in
Jesus by the book have always been quick to criticize the bad behaviors of
people posing as Christians.
Don’t even bring up the
Crusades!
Jesus and people who
really are authentically believing in Jesus by the book would never have
approved of the barbaric behaviors emanating from the bad beliefs of the
Crusaders. They were about as
authentically devoted to Jesus by the book as we are hoping you will tell us
are those barbarians masquerading as Muslims who go around chopping off body
parts, degrading women, and declaring death warrants against anyone who
disagrees with their version of Islam.
You can’t blame Jesus for
“Christians” who need more than just “some” Jesus in their lives as we are
hoping you will tell us about those barbarians who claim to be following
Mohammed so closely.
I guess it does come down
to our leaders.
Would Mohammed do the
things that those murderously marauding “Muslims” are doing in the name of
Allah?
If not, you have to speak
up!
If so, admit it and let
the chips fall where they will!
Would Jesus do the things
that those murderously marauding Crusaders did in the name of God?
Absolutely not!
That means anybody who is
truly following Jesus by the book will not!
Though what I’ve read and
seen from the barbaric “Muslims” and what I haven’t heard or seen from the
other ones doesn’t add up to anything positive or redemptive for the place of
Islam in a civilized world, I confess not being an expert; which is why I’m
waiting for the rest of the Muslims to provide a verdict on the obviously
barbaric ones.
I’m just somebody who
loves Jesus who is trying to follow Him by the book; and the Jesus of the book
is compassionate, merciful, forgiving, and, in short, urging His followers to
love everybody like He loves everybody which includes praying and laboring for
the best for everybody without regard to who, what, where, when, or why with no
need or expectation for response, regard, or reward.
That means Christians who
follow Jesus by the book are willing to co-exist with people who don’t want to
follow Jesus by the book.
That seems so different
from Islam.
Islamists, the loud
barbaric adherents and the silent accommodating and enabling ones, don’t seem
to share such a commitment to co-existence.
Christianity, following
Jesus by the book, can co-exist with everybody else.
Islam, from what I have
read and seen, following Mohammed by the book, cannot co-exist with anybody
else unless everybody else converts to it.
That doesn’t seem to leave
many options for the rest of the civilized world.
I guess, when all is said
and considered, either everybody else will have to go if they don’t convert to
Islam or everybody else will have to team up and you’ll have to…
I hope and pray I’m wrong.
Please speak up and
encourage us that we’re wrong about you.
For unlike what we’ve increasingly
read about and increasingly seen from you, we would like to co-exist.
We’re not asking you to
become like us.
We’re just asking you to be
more conciliatory and recognize the planet has enough space for all of us.
Before everything but
heaven breaks out, please show the world that Mohammed by the book isn’t as
barbaric as we’re reluctantly concluding by the behaviors of so many of those
who claim to follow him.
If you cannot get your
house in order, we will not let you invade ours much longer.
I'm tired of
making excuses for the PCUSA, President, church and family members, and me.
I'm tired of
making excuses for anyone, especially me, who behaves badly.
Until we start admitting
our bad behaviors instead of rationalizing or covering them up, we'll never get
better.
Before going any
further, I confess I have sinned, sin, and will sin.
That's my human
condition/instinct.
That's not an
excuse.
That's a
confession that I pray and hope and labor to lead to repentance or changing my
bad behaviors for Christ's
sake by the book for His glory and the benefit of those around me
who are often hurt by my bad behaviors.
1 John 1:5-10
comes to mind.
I have learned to
confess, "I may be wrong; and if you think I am wrong and show me how I am
wrong by the example of Jesus, revelations of Holy Scripture, and common sense,
I will confess my sin, pray and labor to repent, and ask forgiveness from our
Lord, you, and anyone that I have hurt, misled, or otherwise offended by my
sin. But if you
are saying I am wrong by a worldly standard, tradition, prejudice, political
correctness, or idolatry antithetical to Jesus, the Bible, and common sense,
don't waste my time with your infidelity."
Sooooooo I no longer make
excuses for myself.
I no longer make
excuses for any religious group irretrievably apostate under its current
management by its contradictions of Jesus by the book.
I no longer make
excuses for a President who seems like a nice guy but is either afraid of or
sympathizing with a terrible religion so unlike the mercy, compassion, grace,
forgiveness, inclusion, welcoming, and agape
of Jesus with no exclusions allowed by color, class, culture, or
even sin.
I no longer make
excuses for Democrats, Republicans, unions, school boards, capitalists,
socialists, statists, Baptists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodists,
Roman Catholics, Pentecostals, fundamentalists, or any other idolatrously
ideological human invention if they are behaving badly because they are not
following Jesus by the book.
I no longer make
excuses for church and family members who think familiarity breeds attempt and we'll just
endure and enable their bad behaviors because, well, uh, geez, darn, ya can't pick your relatives or
some other nonsense like that.
I no longer have
to be right, win, or anything else if I see or someone kind points out my bad
behaviors compared to Jesus, the Bible, and common sense.
Bottom line.
Don't tell me or
waste time trying to convince me to respect people who don't respect God in
Jesus by the book; because no one is above reproach except Jesus by the book.
With Islamists on
the move - the ones who've picked up arms to slaughter non-combatants and
chop off heads and treat women worse than dogs and other
barbarically-born-in-hell behaviors and
the nice ones who continue to enable their vicious family members by blaring
silence and cowardly reticence - we no longer have the luxury
not to call them out for behaving badly and we no longer have the luxury not to
call out those who enable their bad behaviors for fear or sympathy.
I think of the
little boy who listened to his father agree with a pro-lifer and then agree
with a pro-choicer. He challenged, "Daddy, they can't both be
right!" Response: "You're right!"
This hour of
human history requires something/Someone better.
Jesus by the
book.
He is the only
one who can save us.
No more excuses.
@#$%
@#$%
Now go to the right column and click on "My First
Tattoo" from the archives.
Dr. Macleod, Princeton's
legendary Professor of Homiletics and Liturgics who was the advisor for my
dissertation and wrote the book
now classic on Reformed Worship called Presbyterian
Worship...[sic]...Its
Meaning and Method, often told a story to his preaching students
that I often told to mine with
full credit to him in case someone got offended by it on behalf of their
favorite pulpiteering idol.
A pastor's young
son asks, "Daddy, how do you write sermons?"
"Well,"
he answers, "I was taught in seminary that one hour of preparation is
required for every minute of delivery. Because I don't have time to do
that, I pray, study, and write the first half of the sermon during the week and then God writes the second half of
the sermon while I'm preaching."
After a few
moments of pregnant pondering, the little boys says, "Wow, daddy, you
write sermons a lot better than God!"
;)
@#$%
Dr. Macleod was
very opinionated.
;)
Here are two of
my favorites.
He often scorned,
"When you get up to pray, don't ask, 'Shall we pray?' As if you're
going to vote on it! Just say, 'Let us pray.'"
He often observed
with a scowl, "Have you been in those churches that pass the peace?
Fascinating. Do they have to force people to greet each other with
Christ's peace during worship because they don't do it before and after
worship? Or is it because the preacher and rest of the liturgical
participants haven't prepared enough material to fill up the hour?"
Whoa.
@#$%
I'm with my
mentor.
If ya can't do it
before and after,...
Besides, from
what I've seen, most folks just gravitate to their favorite...
Or as one honest
fellah admitted, "The raucous ways that this sacred moment is implemented
in most congregations resembles a reckless circus rather than a holy
greeting. The spirit of awesome worship and reverence is crucified on an
altar of theater as clergy remark, 'Nice hair, Ethel!...Good to see ya,
Arnold!...Quite a game last night!...Let's do lunch sometime!' Clergy
prance up and down the aisles with flapping vestments like butterflies in heat
with extroverted congregants leaping at each other for mere moments of
unrestrained hysteria. Visiting introverts and people who really want to
worship and save meeting and greeting for fellowship hours flee emotionally if
not physically."
White trusting
exceptions to this generally silly exercise, passing the peace in most churches
is among the reasons why so many authentics leave religions tied to meaningless
motions for gatherings of women and men who want to relate to each other
through a real relationship with Him.
@#$%
C'mon.
Please forgive
the candor; but I've been around long enough to know too many if not most
churches that force this ceremony on people do it because they don't really
have it to begin with.
People who are
really passing the peace don't have to pose it.
They just, uh, do
it.
It's like people
who say you can lose your salvation.
Really?
Don't think so!
You can't lose
what you never had.
It's like people
who like to pretend Islam is a peaceful religion.
Really?
Don't think so!
You've gotta be
historically illiterate to buy that political correctness.
Check out Islam's
founder.
Yeah, really
peaceful dude.
Not!
@#$%
We really pass
the peace when we love like Jesus.
Mercifully.
Compassionately.
Graciously.
Forgivingly.
Redemptively.
Selflessly.
Agape.
@#$%
A woman engaged
me at WalMart the other day about a couple that left the church a few years
ago.
The specifics are
irrelevant; but, in short, they hated me because I held 'em accountable for
their actions and wouldn't let 'em do whatever the hell they wanted to do as
they injured others and squandered precious resources.
They're not fans.
So I was almost
seduced into...
Almost.
She said,
"She is such a _____!" He is such an _____!"
Almost but not seduced
to...
I said,
"Same could be said about me. Now that I'm thinking of it, I can be
such a _____ and an _____ more than I'd care to admit. Isn't that why
Jesus came?"
We concluded they
will have to answer to God not us; which is a good thing because He can be much
more merciful, compassionate, gracious, forgiving, redemptive, sacrificial, and
loving than us...and especially Muslims who follow the real Mohammed and not
the politically correct one invented by media, entertainment, mainliners,
politicians, Harry Potter's creator, Joy, Whoppi, BBPBHO, and other
self-deluded-yet-well-meaning people with both feet planted firmly in the ozone
layer of unreality.
Are we sure
recreational weed is only legal in...?
;)
@#$%
ASK
AUGUSTINE
by Paul A. Tambrino,
Ed.D., Ph.D.
Isn't Islam’s God, Allah, the same as your
God of the Bible?
The prevailing opinion in postmodern America today is that while the various religions have different names for God,
basically they are all speaking of the same God. Let me emphatically say that I do not hold to
that postmodern view and so state in response to the particular question before
me that the God of Islam, Allah, is NOT the God of the Bible. While it is true Muslims defend to the utmost
the unity of God, they utterly deny His tri-unity; they totally reject the
notion of God as Father, the deity of Jesus Christ as Son, and the divinity of
the Holy Spirit.
For the Muslim, calling God, Father
and Jesus Christ, Son suggests to them procreation. In the Qur’an, Sura 19:35, it states the
Allah should not beget a son and Sura 112:3 sates that Allah “begetteth not,
nor is he begotten.” However, the Bible
does not speak of begotten in terms of a sexual reproduction but in terms of a
special relationship between the Father and the Son. John 1:14 is emphasizing the deity of Christ
when it says that He was the only begotten of the Father and when Paul speaks
of Jesus as the firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15-19) he is pointing
our Christ’s preeminence as the Creator of all things.
Muslims also vehemently denounce the
Christian doctrine of the deity of Christ as the unforgivable sin of shirk
(Sura 4:116). Yes, Muslims will affirm
that Christ was sinless and even that He was virgin born, but they dogmatically
deny His sacrifice upon the cross and His resurrection. The Qur’an in Sura 4:158 states that Allah
raised him up meaning that Jesus was supernaturally taken up rather than being
resurrected from the dead. They hold
that someone (perhaps Judas) was crucified in His place, for which they cite a
late medieval Gnostic writing, “The Gospel of Barnabas.” Sura 4:157 sates, “they killed him not, nor
crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them.”
Muslims also reject the divinity of
the Holy Spirit and teach instead that the Holy Spirit is the archangel Gabriel
who, over a 23-year period, supposedly dictated the Qur’an to Mohammed who
could neither read nor write. Mohammed
in turn dictated the Qur’an to his scribes.
According to Islam, the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus in John’s Gospel
(chapter 14) is Mohammed. The Bible
(Acts 5:3-4 and Romans 8:11) clearly states that the Holy Spirit is neither an
angel nor human but is the very God who has redeemed us and will resurrect us
to eternal life. Therefore, the triune
God of the Bible is not the
same God as the God of Islam.
@#$%
I'm still
thinking about my first tattoo.
If you'd like to
know about that, just go to the right column and click it on.
Admittedly, I'm a
little fearful about getting it.
I think I'm
really called to do it as I wrote.
But I've got this
nagging fear about how people may react to it; especially in parts of my family
that...
Hmm.
I guess that's
the problem, isn't it?
I'm more afraid
of them than...
I guess I'm no
better than everybody else going through the motions of...
When we don't
fear God, we fear everybody else.
Crap.
Back to the
drawing board.
@#$%
Really passing
the peace is really not
religiously following Jesus.
I have nothing
against tattoos; just thought I'd never want/get one.
There are three
reasons why I haven't gotten one yet.
First,
pain. I don't like pain; especially when it can be avoided.
Everybody who's gotten one has told me that there's pain involved in the
process. So, count me out!
Second, until
now, I haven't been convinced there is any design/picture/statement/whatever that
I'd want on my body in a permanent kinda way; because what would happen if I
changed my mind later on in a wineskin-expanding kinda way? Really, I
can't imagine how tattoo artists would/could have handled do-overs when it came
to inking the names of babes in my life since I was in 8th grade.
Third, until now,
where would I want to be inked; like in, you know, part of the body?
Fundies are
probably infuriated already because I haven't mentioned Leviticus 19:28; but,
c'mon, you know practically nobody pays attention to Biblical stuff when it
conflicts with personal/corporate instincts/lusts and ethical
rationalizations. Just ask mainline denominations.
Again, I have
nothing against tattoos.
My sister, sons,
niece, nephew, and most of my biker buddies have 'em.
My mommy and
daddy taught me the common courtesy to mind my own business when it's none of
my business; so I never comment on anybody else's ink, hair, hair color, hair
length, facial hair, clothing, cars they drive, bikes they ride, where they
eat, whether they wear helmets, or anything else unless it's perfume that
could knock over a bull at fifty paces. Steppenwolf sang a lot about that
in Monster. BTW,
that's a really, really, really bad problem in most churches; because, unlike
my mommy and daddy, most people in church haven't read Matthew 7:12 or have and think it only refers to
how people are supposed to treat them and not vice versa.
I learned from
mommy, daddy, and Thumper when it comes to the aforementioned, "If you
can't say somethin' nice,..."
Sooooooo I have nothing
against tattoos; just thought I'd never want/get one.
@#$%
January 7, 2015.
Islamofascistnutballs slaughter twelve people in the offices of Paris, France's
Charlie Hebdo (satirical
newspaper).
Parenthetically,
while I know the media, entertainment, mainline denominations, politicians,
Harry Potter's creator, Joy, Whoppi, and especially BBPBHO have no fear when it
comes to holding Christians accountable for behaviors antithetical to
Jesus by the book because people who follow Jesus by the book - Don't blame Jesus for
so-called "Christians" who don't follow Him by the book! -
don't go around chopping off heads and slaughtering non-combatants and
remaining silent about the bastard children of religions about Jesus that seldom
have anything to do with a relationship with
Jesus, all of 'em are sooooooo
afraid to ask the kinda questions that may help ameliorate the
increasing madness (see "An Open Letter to Muslims" by scrolling
down).
When the
Presidents of France and the USA can't bring themselves to tell the truth about
what's going on...
@#$%
January 11, 2015.
Sometime just
after midnight, I had a dream/vision/inspiration/indigestion.
I got a tattoo.
It was a yellow
star of David with "Je
suis Charlie" inscribed on it.
Left arm above
the elbow.
Anybody familiar
with history understands the previous and contemporary symbolism.
If not, shame on yu'uns!
@#$%
Targets.
Islamofascistnutballs are targeting anyone who won't submit to their phony
deity.
I'll bet in a Christian kinda way that
they will be especially focused on...
That's why I want
to be identified with them - confessionally and visibly.
I don't know if
I'm gonna get a tattoo or cloth patch or button with a picture and inscription
or...
But I've got to do something for Christ's sake.
As my parents
taught me, it's a common courtesy to...Jesus.
@#$%
Blessings and Love!
An Open Letter to Muslims
Dear Followers of
Mohammed,
I am writing to you as a
follower of Jesus; meaning I believe He is Lord and Savior and try to behave
accordingly.
Christians regard Jesus as
the perfect personification of God and the Bible as providing the perfect
prescriptions for following Him.
Assuming you are trying to
follow your leader Mohammed according to your sacred literature, I have
increasing concerns about how you participate in civilization.
Surely, “Muslims” are like
“Christians” in diversity of beliefs and behaviors; acknowledging any
connection between some beliefs and behaviors and their founders by their books
are often just coincidental.
I differentiate between
posers and authentics.
Posers follow their
leaders by their books when it’s convenient to their egocentric wants,
feelings, needs, and opinions; as in, “I know that’s what Jesus/Mohammed says, but
I think…”
Authentics follow their
leaders by their books; surrendering the egocentric to the theocentric; as in,
“God said it. I believe it. That settles it.”
While my guess is some of
what I am writing may appeal to posers who are moderately committed to their
leaders – “Yeah, that’s right! I am a
moderate! I’m moderately committed to
Jesus/Mohammed as long as it doesn’t, you know, conflict with my wants,
feelings, needs, and opinions!” – I am hoping this will attract attention from
Muslims who are trying to follow Mohammed by the book.
I have two concerns about
how authentic Muslims participate in civilization.
First, from everything
that I’ve read about Mohammed and observed in Muslims who follow him by the
book, it’s noticeably barbaric from most civilized points of view.
I mean, let’s face
it. Cutting off heads for apostasy,
cutting off other body parts for lesser infidelities, and degrading women in so
many ways just doesn’t seem very, uh, civilized from most, uh, civilized points
of view.
When someone makes fun of
Mohammed in a silly cartoon or sophomoric video, you go apoplectic. You make our snake-handling Pentecostals look
like Emily Post devotees. Are you that
emotionally fragile that you can’t handle people who don’t esteem Mohammed like
you do? Yeah, I know you’ve got this convert-to-us-or-be-killed-by-us
thing going. But think about us! We are a constant source of comic material
for Saturday Night Live, Bill Maher, Kathy Griffin, and so many others who
don’t have to worry about Christians declaring death warrants against them.
And what’s up with the
masks when you do your beheading thing?
You look like America’s old KKK on steroids! It comes off rather cowardly. If you have the courage of your convictions,
man up, name it, and claim it!
Your leaders of your
leader are quick to convince their followers that there are dozens of virgins
awaiting those who get knocked off for your cause. While that sounds like something very
appealing to Cub Scouts in heat, it comes off as rather juvenile to the rest of
us. Really, is that what your heaven is
mostly about? Sex with virgins? Whoa.
Second, if what I just
wrote is really, really, really wrong about Muslims who follow Mohammed by the
book, why don’t you condemn their barbarity and tell everyone that they’re not
following Mohammed by the book?
There’s no such thing as a
silent majority. Everybody knows silence
about bad behaviors emanating from bad beliefs accommodates and enables
them. If they’re wrong about Mohammed by
the book, then you owe it to, uh, Mohammed to tell them about it and convince
us that we’re wrong about thinking Islam is barbaric from civilized points of
view.
Christians who believe in
Jesus by the book have always been quick to criticize the bad behaviors of
people posing as Christians.
Don’t even bring up the
Crusades!
Jesus and people who
really are authentically believing in Jesus by the book would never have
approved of the barbaric behaviors emanating from the bad beliefs of the
Crusaders. They were about as
authentically devoted to Jesus by the book as we are hoping you will tell us
are those barbarians masquerading as Muslims who go around chopping off body
parts, degrading women, and declaring death warrants against anyone who
disagrees with their version of Islam.My
We’re not asking you to
become like us.
We’re just asking you to be
more conciliatory and recognize the planet has enough space for all of us.
Before everything but
heaven breaks out, please show the world that Mohammed by the book isn’t as
barbaric as we’re reluctantly concluding by the behaviors of so many of those
who claim to follow him.
If you cannot get your
house in order, we will not let you invade ours much longer.
